Machine for making link mesh



v R. H. BERKLEY MACHINE FOR MAKING LINK MESH Filed July 13. 1923 3 Shets-Sheet l AQQQQNQF IN VEN TOR 14/ ATTORNEYS Jan. 19 1926.

R. H. BERKLEY MACHINE FOR MAKING LINK MESH 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 13, 1923 4'1 ATTORNEYS Jan. 19 ,1926.

' R. H. BERKLEY MACHINE FOR MAKING LINK Mas s Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 13, 1932s a full, clear,

Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

RICHARD H.

BERKLEY, OF PLAINVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO WRITING &

DAVIS COMPANY, -A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR. MAKING LINK innsn.

Application filed July 13, I923. SeriaLNo. 651,271.

T 0 all whom/it may concern: I

Be it known that I, RICHARD H. BERK- LEY, residing at Plainville, in the county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Link Mesh; and I do hereby declare the following to be and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a machine for making link mesh fabric and more specifically to a machine for-producing such fabric in the form of a fiat web.

Machines for producing flat webs of link mesh as heretofore constructed include a support for the mesh which is given a stepby-step transverse movement past the tools which form one link at a time. The fabric consists of a: plurality of rows of links and each link is engaged with two links of the row preceding and two links of the row following. Upon the completion of a row of links across the fabric the latter isadvanced longitudinally by one row and'is also given a transverse movement sufficient to shift the fabric half the diameter of a single link so that the links of the row just completed will be placed in their proper positions relative to the forming tools. During this longitudinal and transverse shifting movement the forming tools are at rest but are brought into action again when the mesh is at rest in its new position. The tools now operate to add another row of links one by one whereupon another advance and lateral shift of the mesh takes place.

The link-forming tools used operate in pairs, one on either side of the mesh and other devices are associated with these tools to feed the, wire, to cut it into lengths, etc.

" The link-forming assembly ordinarily acts to draw a length of wire' sufficient for one link from the supply, sever this length,'bend it about an anvil to form a staple, insert the ends of the staple through a pair of links at the edge of the mesh and then close the staple to form a closed ring by bending the ends together.

Similar link-forming tools-with their associated parts-are also used in another type of machine, such as is illustrated for instance in Letters Patent No. 948,615,.issued to me'onFebruary 8, 1910. In that machine mesh is produced in the form of a sleeve supported during the production on a cylindrical mandrel. The tools are disposed about this mandrel in spaced relation and act to add single links of successive rows. In either type of machine thelinks are'formed and'added to the mesh one by one and the output is therefore necessarily limited.

. In the machine of the present invention, however, the mesh is produced in the flat web form consisting of successive transverse rows of inter-engaging links and these links, instead of being added one by one, are attached to the mesh a row at a time. The links are not produced from straight wine, but the machine isfed with staples or lengthsof wire bent to the open ring form and the forming tools simultaneously carry forward a plurality of staples correspondingin number to thelinks in a row of the mesh and insert the ends of these staples through the links at the edge of the fabric. These inserted staples are then closed and the forming tools are retracted to engage another series of staples. Upon the completion of a row of links the mesh is ad vanced longitudinally by one row and shifted transversely by half the diameter of a link as has previously been described. The forming tools during this movement have returned to pick up another charge of staples and upon the completion of the shifting of the mesh these tools advance to insert the new row of staples through the links. This cycle of operations isrepeated indefinitely and the production is much greater than in machines heretofore in use.

The staples which are supplied to these machines may be produced in any desired way but in my co-pending application, Serial No. 651,273, filed July 13,1923, there is shown a machine in which the several operations of feeding, cutting and bending the wire into staple form are carried on. This machine operates to produce a number of staples at at-ime and these staples are disposed one above another in magazines which are long tubes of a shape and s'ize corresponding generally with the contour of the staples so that the latter will be disposed regularly therein and may be withdrawn without difliculty.

A plurality of these magazines is used in the machine of the present invention, one for each link in a row of the mesh. These magazines are supported above one set of link-forming tools which are normally in a position so that the end staples of the magazines are engaged by the tools which also prevent the staples from dropping out of the magazines. When the tools advance to the mesh they carry forward the end staples from beneath the ends of the magazines and insert these staples into the links at the edge of the mesh. Upon the closing of these staples the forming tools return to their normal positions below the ends of the magazines, engage a new row of staples and then at the proper instant carry these staples forward as has been described. In the present embodiment -of the invention, as will shortly be described, the forming tools are mounted side by side in a row on a slide. Two slides carrying sets of tools are provided and in the operation of these slides they move forward simultaneously toward the mesh. There is one tool in each slide for each link in a row and these tools are properly spaced so that each tool in a slide cooperates with a corresponding tool in the other slide. In order to insure that one set of these tools will remove staples from the magazines one at a time and also to make certain that the staples carried away from the magazines by the tools will not be displaced therefrom, a sliding bar moves between the tools and the ends of the magazines at the proper instant. This bar not only closes the ends of the magazines, but extends forward to the piece of fabric which is being added to, thus overlying the path of travel of the staple-carry ing tools. This bar is shaped so that the staples supported in the ends of the tools will be held in place during the advance of the tools. Upon completion of the linkforming staple the bar goes back at the proper instant so that when the tools are again in place below the ends of the magazine a staple will be free to drop down and be engaged in each of the tools.

The mesh support is a roller mounted in a carriage which is shifted transversely at the end of the link-forming operation. This roller is also rotated one step so as to advance the mesh by a distance equivalent to one row of links at the completion of the link-forming operation. These movements, accordingly, serve to feed the mesh so that the forming tools will operate on it properly and in this machine the mesh production is carried 011 rapidly and as long as a supply of staples is provided.

In the accompanying drawings there is illustrated the embodiment of the invention now preferred, and in these drawings Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical section of the machine;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the machine with parts shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a plan view with certain parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of certain details of the forming tools and associated parts;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a pair of tools with certain parts broken away;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a detail of a pair of tools in closed position;

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of a piece of mesh showing the arrangement of the links and also the device for keeping the mesh taut during its production.

In these drawings the mechanism is shown to be supported on a bed 8 provided with legs 9. At either end of this bed are end Walls 10 which support an upper table 11.

The mesh support is in the form of a roller 12, the face of which is formed with series of alternate ridges and depressions 13 and 14:, these ridges and depressions corresponding to the ridges and depressions of the finished mesh shown diagrammatically at 15. The roller is supported on a shaft 16 mounted in suitable bearings in standards 17 extending upwardly from a slide 18 which moves in a dovetailed guide-way 19 in a block 20. This block is supported in the end walls 212l which extend upwardly from the table 11. The block is provided at one end with a projecting arm 22 from which depends another arm 23 which enters a cam slot 24: in a cam 25 mounted on a drive shaft 26. This drive shaft has mounted on it a pulley 27 supported at one end in a bearing 28 in the end of a standard projectlng upwardly from the base 8 of the machine and at the other end in a suitable bearing formed in the end wall 10.

On the end of the shaft 16 carrying the roiler 12 is a ratchet wheel 29 andmounted in the end of a vertically reciprocating rod 30 IS a spring pressed pawl 31 which engages the teeth of this ratchet wheel. This rod 30 is movable through a pair of guides 32--32 projecting from the end walls of the machine and a collar 33 is secured on the rod by a set screw at a point between these guides. A spring 34 bears at one end against the lower guide 32 and at the other against this collar, this spring thereby acting to keep the rod in its uppermost position. At the lower end the rod is pivotally secured to a rocking arm 35 swinging on a pivot 36 in the end wall of the machine. At its end this rod 35 is provided with a cam roller 37 which bears against a cam 38 mounted on a shaft 39. This shaft is supported at one end in. the bearing 28 which alsosupports the shaft 26 and at the other end in a suitable bearing formed in the end wall 10. Mounted 011 the shaft 39 beyond this end wall 10 is a spur gear 40 which meshes with a similar gear 41 mounted on a projecting end of a shaft 42. This shaft projects through both end walls 10 and at the other end is provided with a spur gear 43 meshing with a spur gear 44 mounted on the shaft 26 between the cam member 25 and a collar 45.

It will be seen that with this arrangement when poweris transmitted to the pulley 27 it drives the shaft 26 and thence through the gears 44 and 43 the shaft 42, which in turn drives the shaft 39. As the latter rotates the cam 38 bears against the roller 39 and causes it to move down, carrying with it the rod 30. This rod, acting through the pawl andratchet, then causes a rotation of the shaft 16 which carries with it the roller 12 on which the mesh is supported. It will be noted that the ratchet wheel 29 is of considerable width so that as the carriage on which the mesh supporting roller is moved back and forth transversely of the mesh,

the pawl 31 will slide along the teeth of the ratchet and will. always be engaged with it. As shown more clearly in Fig. 1, the mesh iscarried up over the roller 12 by this intermittent movement of rotation and then passes off the roller along an inclined plate 46 supported on arms 47 projecting from the table ll. This mesh slides down the plate and is then taken care of in any ap p opriate manner.

The link forming tools consist of cooperating dies mounted on reciprocating slides. One set of tools not only serves to assist in forming the links but also serves to withdraw staples from the magazines and insert these staples through the links at the edge of the mesh. As is shown more clearly in Figs. 1 and 3 the dies last referred to are mounted on a slide 48 having tongues .49 which enter suitable guide-ways 50 formed in a block 51 resting on the table 11. The rear end of this slide is provided with a yoke 52 carrying a pin 53 on which is vertically mounted an upright arm 54, the lower end of which is attached to a slide 55 provided with tongues 56 on either end thereof entering guide-ways in a block 57 which rest on the table 8. The slide 55 extends beyond the shaft 42 and on the side of the shaft 42 remote from the arm 54 is a short arm 58 in the end of which is a roller 59 hearing against a cam 60 on the shaft .42. At the end of the slide 55 is a stud 61 guiding a spring 62, the other end of which encircles a stud 63 formed in an upright flange 64 on the block 57. This spring 62 ar s to maintain the slide 55 in such position that the roller 59 will always be against the face ofthe ca1n60'. It will be seen that as the shaft 42 rotates the cam acts to reciprocate the slide 48 across the top of the machine.

In the forward edge of the slide 48 and extending beyond this edge is a series of dies 65 placed side by side with their edges abutting. These dies are anchored in place by screws 66 so that each die individually removableshould such action benecessary. These dies will be seen-to be formed at their outer ends with semi-circular recesses 67, the upper faces of which are channeled as at 68. The depth of these channels isequivalent to the diameter of the wire of which the staples are formed and as' will be seen later the recesses are so channeled to permit a stapple to enter the channels from above.

Mounted in end walls 69 extending upwardly from. the block 51 is. a magazine guide 7 Oand there is provided another similar guide 71 located. in the end of an inclined arm 72 also mounted in the end walls 69. .As is shown more clearly in Fig. 3 this magazine guide is. formed of a pair of parallel bars 7 37 3 and the magazines 74 are inserted between these bars and thence through the guides which are similar in construction. The magazines, which are shown to be in the form of tubes open at either end, rest with their lower ends close to the upper" faces of the die members 65, being supported in such position by set screws 75 mounted in the upper magazine guides 71. These magazines carry a supply of staples indicated at 7 6,each staplebeing formed of wire of the proper size for. the links which are to be made. The staples are carried in the magazines one above the other and after a full magazine has been anchored in place the weight 77 is placed on top of the staples to insure that they do not clog in the magazines during the operation of the machine. The die members 65 are of the proper size and are so located that there is a magazine for each die member and, when the magazines are in proper position one beside the other, upon the movement of the slide to the left in Fig. 1 a staple from. the magazine will drop down and enter the channeled portion of the recess at the end of each die member. As the slide 48 is then moved forward toward the mesh 15 the die member will withdraw the lowermost or end staple from the magazine and carry. it forward to insert the ends through the links of the mesh at the edge of the fabric. Owing to the necessary shape of the recesses in the ends of the die members 65, as shown more clearly in Fig 5, the sta les76- project some distance beyond the c anne'l's, and the result is that without further mechanism the staples would drop out of thesechannels on the advance movement of the dies. It is necessary to preventtliis loss of staples from the ends of the diesv and to insure that the staples will be held firmly in place in the channels not only during the advance movement but also during the exertion of the pressure which closes the staples.

The device which serves the several purposes above outlined is a thin reciprocating bar 78 mounted in angular supports 79 projecting from either end of a slide 80 having tongues 81 along its lateral edges which enter guide-ways formed in the block 51. This slide 80 is provided at the rear end with a yoke 82 in which is carried a pin 83. An arm 84 extends outwardly from the edge of the table 11 and pivotally mounted on a pin 85 in the end of this arm 84 is a rocking lever 86 which has a slot 87 in its upper end through which passes the pin 83 in the yoke 82. A spring 88, attached at one end to a lug 89 on the end of the arm 84 and at the other end to the arm 86 below its fulcrum point 85, tends to swing the arm 86 so as to carry the slide to the left, as shown in Fig. 1. At the lower end the lever 86 is provided with a roller 90 bearing against a cam 91 mounted on a shaft 92, this shaft being supported in suitable bearings in the end walls 10 of the machine. Mounted on one end of the shaft beyond the end walls, is a spur gear 93 meshed with the gear 41 on the shaft 42. As the shaft 92 is driven from the shaft 42 the cam 91 causes the lever 86 to rock on its fulcrum thereby causing the slide 80 to move in and out toward the mesh.

The bar 78 is a piece of thin metal terminating at its forward edge in a knife edge 94. This bar 78 is formed to he flat against the upper face of the series of die members and the magazines when set up in the machine are supported in such relation to the faces of the die members that the bar 78 will pass between the ends of the magazines and the die members. The action of the several parts is co-ordinated so that when the slide 48 moves to the rear or away from the mesh the bar 78 will also be moved in'that direction, passing from beneath the ends of the magazines. This will permit a staple to move down and enter the channel formed in the end of each die member. The bar 78 then moves forward to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4 and it will be noted with reference particularly to Fig. 4 that the bar extends beneath the ends of the magazines and serves to hold the staple 76 in position in the channel 68. The slide'48 now moves forward, the staples being carried by it in the ends of the die members until the ends of the staples project through the links at the edge of the tion to the slide 48. This slide has lateral tongues which project into guide-ways 96 in either end of the block 51 and at the rear end the slide is provided with a yoke 97 in which is a pin 98 encircling which is a bar 99 attached at its lower end to a slide 100, this slide being similar to the slide 55 previously described and being similarly mounted. This slide has an upstanding arm 101 at its other end in which is a cam roller 102 bearing against a cam 103 on the shaft 42 and there is also provided a spring 104 similar in its action to the spring 62 and similarly mounted. The cam 103 serves to reciprocate the slid-e 95 toward and away from the mesh. Mounted at the front edge of the slide 95 is a series of die members 105 mounted side by side in the slide by screws. The die members 105 are formed with semicircular recesses 106 in their forward edges and extending inward from these recesses in the face of the die members are channels 107 shown more clearly in Fig. 4.

When the slide 48 moves forward under the bar 78, carrying with it a series of staples 76 to insert the legs of these staples through a pair of links of the mesh, the slide 95 is also advanced toward the mesh until the die members 105 strike the projecting ends of the staples and bend them together to form a closed ring as is shown in Fig. 6. A row of links has now been added to the mesh and the two slides move apart to release this row of links and to return to their normal positions. The bar 78 also moves away and passes from beneath the bottom ends of the magazines so as to permit a new series of staples to enter the dies. WVhen the two slides are apart the rod 30 is actuated by its cam to advance the roller 12 by a step, thus forwarding the piece of mesh by one row of links. At the same time the carriage which supports the roller is shifted transversely of the mesh and the various parts are ready to continue operations. The new staples carried by the die members are advanced, inserted through the last row of links and then closed in the manner previously describe-d. This cycle of operation is continued indefinitely.

In order to keep the mesh taut during the process of adding new links, there is provided a pair of guide wires 108 which are mounted on the slide 18 at either end of the slide. These wires have upstanding portions 109 which lie in the plane of the mesh and which are so placed that the last links 110 of alternate rows will be formed to encircle these portions. The wires consequently serve to maintain taut that portion of the mesh adjacent the edge at which new rows of links are to be added.

It will be seen with reference to Fig. 4 that the links 111 and 112 of adjacent rows hang in inclined positions which are substantially at right angles to each other. This inclination of alternate rows results naturally from the manner in which the links are added but if desired it is possible to provide an air-blast or other means to insure that the links of each row will assume the proper inclination.

It will be seen that mesh production in this machine may be carried on continuously solong as a supply'of staples is available. VVhenthe magazines are empty the machine is stopped and full magazines are placed in the'guides. Operations are then resumed and carried on until further staples are needed. Inasmuch as the mesh is produced a row at a time instead of a link at a time the output of such machine is considerably great-er than those heretofore used inasmuch as the operation of the plurality of link forming tools working simultaneously does not consume any more time than is necessary-for a cycle of operations of the linkform'ing assemblies heretofore employed.

I claim:

1. In a machine formaking link mesh fabric, the combination of means for supporting the mesh and moving it as it is formed with a step by step movement,a free edge of the piece of mesh depending from the said supporting means, a plurality of staple magazines, link forming tools on one side of the depending edge of the piece of mesh normally engaging the end staples in the magazines, these tools being reciprocable toward and away from the piece of mesh to withdraw the end staples from the magazines, and to insert their ends through the links at the free edge of the mesh, complementary link forming tools on the other side of the piece of mesh cooperating with the tools first mentioned to close the ends of the inserted staples to form links, and means operating in the periods of rest of the step by step movement of the piece of mesh for causing the tools to reciprocate toward and away from the piece of mesh to perform their functions.

2. In a machine for making link mesh fabric, the combination of means for supporting the piece of mesh and for moving it as it is formed with a step by step movement, a free edge of thepiece of mesh depending from the supporting means, a plurality of staple magazines, link forming tools on one side of the piece of mesh normally engaging the end staples of the magazines and reciprocable toward and away from the piece of mesh to withdraw these staples and insert their ends through the links at the edge of the piece of mesh, complementary link forming tools on the other side of the piece of mesh cooperating with the tools first mentioned to close the inserted staples, a movable member operating in coordination with the link forming tools first mentioned to close the ends of the magazines as the "tools pass from beneath the latter toward the mesh and to hold the withdrawn staples in the forming tools during their insertion, and means for reciprocating the tools toward and away from the piece of mesh and for moving the said member.

3. In a machine for making link mesh fabric, the combination ofmeans forsup porting the piece of mesh and for moving it longitudinally with a step by step movement and forshifting it transversely at each step, a free edge of the piece of mesh depending from the said supportingmeans, a plurality of staple magazines, link forming tools on one side of the-piece of mesh normally engaging the end staples in the magazines, complementary link forming ,tools on .the other side of the piece of mesh adapted to cooperate with the tools first mentioned, and

means for reciprocating the tools tow'ardand away from the piece of m'esh to withdraw the end staples from the magazines, to win sert the ends of these staples through'the links at the free edge of the fabric, and to close these staples to form links, the said operating means acting in the periods of rest of the step by step movement of the piece, of mesh. t

4. In a machine for making link mesh fabric, the combination of means for supporting the mesh and for advancing the mesh longitudinally and for shifting it transversely with a-step by step movement, a plurality of staple magazines, link forming tools on one side of the piece of mesh normally engaging the end staples in ,the magazines, complementary link. forming tools on the other side of the piece of mesh adapted to cooperate with the tools first;

mentioned to close the ends'of the inserted staples to form links, means for reciprocating the tools first mentioned toward and away from the piece of mesh to withdraw the end staples from the magazines and to insert their ends through the links at the edge of the piece of fabric, and a reciprocating bar actuated by the means last mentioned for closing the ends of the magazines after the link forming tools have withdrawn the end staples therefrom and for holding the staples so withdrawn in these link forming tools during the insertion of the staples through the links of the fabric.

5. In a machine for making link mesh fabric, the combination of a roller support for the mesh, a plurality of staple magazines, one for each link in a row of the mesh, a slide on one side of the mesh, link forming tools, one for each magazine, mounted on the slide and normally engaging the end staples in the magazines, means for moving the slide to with-draw a row of staples from the magazines and to insert their ends through the links at the edge of the mesh,

movable means operating to hold the Withdrawn staples in the forming tools during such insertion and link forming tools on the other side of the mesh cooperating With the tools first mentioned to close the inserted staples.

6. In a machine for making link mesh fabric, the combination of a roller support for the mesh, a plurality of staple magazines, one for each link in a row of the mesh, a slide on one side of the mesh, link forming tools, one for each magazine, mounted on the slide and normally engaging the end staples in the magazines, means for moving the slide to withdraw a row of staples from the magazines and to insert their ends through the links at the edge of the mesh, movable means operating to hold the withdrawn staples in the forming tools during such insertion, link forming tools on the other side of the mesh cooperating with the tools first mentioned to close the inserted staples, and means for rotating the roller by one step and for shifting it transversely upon the completion of a row of links.

7 In a machine for making link mesh fabric, the combination of a roller support for the mesh, a plurality of staple magazines, one for each link in a row of the mesh, a slide on one side of the mesh, a link forming tool mounted adjustably in the slide below each magazine and normally engaging the end staple therein, means for moving the slide to withdraw a row of staples from the magazine and to insert their ends through the links at the edge of the mesh, movable means operating to hold the withdrawn staples in the forming tools during such insertion, a second slide on the other side of the mesh carrying link forming tools cooperating with the tools first mentioned to close the staples, means for moving the second slide into and out of operative position, and means for rotating the roller by one step and for shifting it transversely upon the completion of a row of links.

8. In a machine for making link mesh fabric, the combination of a roller support for the mesh, a plurality of staple magazines, one for each link in a row of the mesh, a slide on one side of the mesh, a link forming tool mounted adjustably in the slide below each magazine and normally engaging the end staple therein, means for moving the slide to Withdraw a row of staples from the magazine and to insert their ends through the links at the edge of the mesh. a reciprocable ba operable to hold the Withdrawn staples in the forming tools during such insertion and to permit new staples to be engaged by the tools upon the completion of the row of links, a second slide on the other side of the mesh carrying link forming tools cooperating with the tools first mentioned to close the staples, means for moving the second slide into and out of operative position, and means for rotating the roller by one step and for shifting it transversely upon the completion of a row of links.

9. In a machine for making link mesh fabric, the combination of means for supporting the mesh, a plurality of staple magazines, link forming tools on one side of the mesh normally engaging the end staples in the magazines and operable simultaneously to withdraw a staple from each magazine and to insert its ends through a pair of links at the edge of the mesh, movable means operating to hold the Withdrawn staples in the tools during such insertion and link forming tools on the other side of the mesh cooperating simultaneously with the tools first mentioned to close the inserted links.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

RICHARD H. BERKLEY. 

